Healing Psych

Dr. Katrina Wood's psychotherapy blog

The Beatles, psychologists of rock

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Humming along to "Eleanor Rigby," I began listening more acutely to the astounding lyrics of this Beatles song from 1966. How profoundly insightful their music was when it came to the the human condition from a psychological point of view. The Beatles were the pop psychologists of their times! "Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been. ... All the lonely people, … [Read more...]

The duality that lies within

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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde have long been associated with multiple personality disorder and the inner struggle between good and evil. These famous characters come from Robert Louis Stevenson's penny dreadful novella "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," first published in 1886. In a more focused sense, Stevenson was writing about a split personality or a dual personality. But what are the … [Read more...]

A 15-minute commitment to children

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"Fully being with your child, wanting nothing, is quality time," wrote the childhood educator Magda Gerber in her book "Dear Parent: Caring for Infants with Respect." Gerber is known for teaching parents how to understand babies and how to interact with them from birth. She spent many years studying children who were overwhelmed by the absence of physical, psychological and emotional … [Read more...]

Ease pandemic anxiety with ‘specificity’

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It's been about 18 months since we were advised that Covid-19 had arrived on our shores. We viewed the announcement with uncertainty and skepticism. Then we were blindsided and shocked as the virus began taking the lives of loved ones, friends, neighbors and strangers. Now, a year and a half later, many are still gripped by fear of this strange and invisible phenomenon, despite extraordinary … [Read more...]

Corralling the Four Horsemen

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Some days, it feels like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse have arrived. But wait! Just who are these unwelcome and mysterious figures? The Four Horsemen originally documented in the book of Revelation represented the “end of days.” They were Death, Famine, War and Conquest. Setting aside the literal end-of-days scenario, what if we consider that we carry within us similar archetypal … [Read more...]